


I like you, do you like me?

by Kanaii



Category: One Piece
Genre: Asexual Monkey D. Luffy, Demisexual Trafalgar D. Water Law, Falling In Love, M/M, but there is no sex in this, i am simultaneously both proud of myself and disappointed, law deals with feelings, laws default reaction to love and attraction is irritation, look this was meant to be just sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29714784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanaii/pseuds/Kanaii
Summary: Strawhat ignored him and jerked him closer, Law stumbled forward, foolishly not expecting the strength the man possessed, until they were standing close, closer than Law had ever been to another person since he left his crew. Luffy's eyes bored into his, near hostile in its intensity. Law wondered if this was going to end in a fight.Or alternately, Law falls in love and can't deal with it, until he does.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 21
Kudos: 162





	I like you, do you like me?

Torao's crew and us! We're forming an alliance!

Law twitched in irritation as Luffy's hand landed heavy upon his shoulder, trying to ignore the young man smiling brightly beside him. Luffy's hand was warm, his grip strong, it distracted him from the reactions of his crew. Though judging by the overdramatic wailing, Law guessed they weren't overly enthused at the prospect of antagonizing one of the four Emperors of the sea. Only Zoro looked happy, but then, the swordsman was the same kind of crazy as his captain.

Well, he thought, it didn't matter, he wasn't planning on coming out of this alive anyway. Kaido would be the Straw hat's problem. They were a powerful yet unexpected ally in the game he'd been playing his entire life. If he played them right he would finally be able to slay the demons that had haunted his nightmares for years. He would finally avenge Cora-san and lay his soul to rest.

Luffy's hand remained as Law explained his plan to use Ceasar as a distraction to destroy Doflamingo's smile factory. He didn't know why he bothered, any plan involving the Straw hat's was bound to go to shit almost immediately. But he was counting on that. Doflamingo wouldn't be able to predict Strawhat, and that would be his downfall. This didn't stop him from scowling when Strawhat and his crew promptly devolved into laughter and play fighting almost before he even fully fleshed out their plan. Their captain was picking a fight with an Emperor and here they were squabbling over lunch. By the God's he had never seen such a carefree crew. Or maybe, he mused, glancing at the ever smiling Straw hat Luffy, they just had that much faith in their captain. A man that engenders such blind loyalty and trust could be nothing but dangerous. He couldn't help but think of his own crew.

They weren't happy to leave their captain behind. That much was clear. Bepo was particularly distraught. Shachi and Penguin had for once grown serious. If they had known of his suicide mission they would have never let him go, or worse, they would have gone down with him. Loyalty like that was a burden as much as it was a gift. He had to keep them safe, he would ensure his actions wouldn't affect them. They would be fine without him, perhaps Bepo would even be the new captain. He wanted to smile at the thought. He looked at the cheerful, smiling faces around him and suddenly missed his own crew terribly, struck all over again by the knowledge he wouldn't ever see them again. He didn't want to stay here anymore, he got up to leave.

Only to be brought up short by a vice tight grip around his wrist. Law jerked in surprise and turned to look. He met with Luffy's dark eyes, focused and intense upon his. It was unexpected, he had thought the other man had flounced off at the first mention of food. The smile was gone from his face, and Law was strangely discomfited by that. The sudden change was eerie, and more than a little unsettling. 

"What" he muttered, pulling at the grip on his wrist. It didn't budge, Law frowned. 

Strawhat ignored him and jerked him closer, Law stumbled forward, foolishly not expecting the strength the man possessed, until they were standing close, closer than Law had ever been to another person since he left his crew. Luffy's eyes bored into his, near hostile in its intensity. Law wondered if this was going to end in a fight.

"I'm going to beat Mingo you hear?! I'm going to kick his ass!" Luffy's voice was strong, confident in his proclamation. Like it was a fact, a bygone conclusion. Luffy's eyes searched his face, insistent, as if he were trying to tell him something.

Law wanted to scoff, wanted to tell him it wasn't that easy. That nothing was that simple, that his confidence was foolish, that his recklessness would get him killed. Then his eyes caught on the scar across luffy's chest, twisted and gnarled and ugly. His remembered how his hands had been inside that chest, coaxing that heart to keep beating, his decision to save his life a whim he couldn't explain to himself to this day. He had stitched that wound shut and bandaged him up, the proof of his efforts standing living and breathing in front of him against all odds. Close enough to reach out and touch if he wanted to.

So he didnt. He knew better than most how far Luffy would go to keep his promises.

"Not if I kick his ass first" he says instead with a smirk. 

Luffy laughs, bright and unrestrained like only he could. The seriousness gone from his face like it had never been there. He let's go of him then, and Law turns away. He tries to suppress the urge to rub at his wrist, at the heat there that seems to have sunk into his bones.

He fails.  
***

"Strawhat" Law says through clenched teeth, "Once I get out of these handcuffs I'm going to kill you first" 

Luffy pays him no mind, instead looking at the Marines and Doflamingo's men surrounding them with mild consternation. As if landing them right in the midst of their enemies was a mere annoyance. And Law was a sitting duck, hands still cuffed with seastone, his powers locked and thrown over the shoulder of his allied captain. His life was now in Luffy's hands. Not for the first time in the last hour, he regrets this entire alliance business.

But Luffy had come for him. He didn't know why he was surprised, that was just the kind of person Luffy was. He wouldn't abandon someone he thought a friend. No matter if the other person returned the sentiment. He recalls the way he had snapped and snarled at Luffy. 

The alliance is over! If you free me now, I won't hesitate to kill you in cold blood!

Luffy had just looked annoyed, and proceeded to attempt to free him anyway.

The alliance isn't over until I say it's over!

What an overbearing, frustrating man.

Any sane person would have left him to the wolves. Luffy instead barged in, refused his attempts to sever the alliance, ignored his threats of murder and now seemed intent on fighting his demons by his side. 

Law didn't have the time to feel grateful, couldn't, not with the birdcage marring the sky and so much at stake. Luffy didn't want or need his gratitude anyway. He would've done it regardless. Maybe later a thank you was in order. If they made it out alive.

Law did wish the idiot had taken the time to remove the cuffs though. He was a pirate captain for God's sake! He shouldn't have to be carried around like a sack of wheat! He grunted as Luffy took off running again, with far too much ease considering he was carrying the weight of a gangly, fully grown man. Law squirmed, unreasonably irritated at the feel of luffy's arm around him, the jut of a muscled shoulder pressing into his middle. 

Luffy huffed and the arm around him constricted, squeezing the breath out of him. "Torao! Stay still or you'll fall off!"

Gratitude or not, perhaps a little murder wouldn't go amiss, Law thought darkly.  
***

Waking up was disorienting. Law blinked his eyes up at the ceiling, then looked around at the sight of their allies sprawled all around the small room, lying unconscious in varying states of injury. It was barely daylight, and dawn was breaking. Everyone was still asleep. He groaned and attempted to sit up, and immediately realised what a bad idea that was as all the aches and pains accumulated by fighting Doflamingo made itself known. 

Doflamingo. 

The man, along with all his subordinates had been defeated. His reign of terror was over, the island saved. And none of it was because of him.

He laughed, all those years of careful planning and sacrifice and it hadn't been enough. No, the person who avenged Cora-san's memory was sleeping splayed out on the only bed in the small cottage, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Luffy had punched the disgraced Celestial Dragon straight out of the sky and it was the most glorious thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. He supposed he should feel a little bitter, and he did. But mostly it was overwhelmed by sheer relief. He was surprisingly not dead and Doflamingo was ousted from his seat of power. He wouldn't be given the opportunity to hurt anyone ever again.

Law propped himself up against luffy's bed, staring at the bandages covering nearly his entire upper half. He could imagine their little reindeer doctor going out of his mind with worry, or was he used to It? Luffy never seemed to pay attention to the limits of his body. He would have bet that the idiot ended up in this state more often than not.

Would he have done this for anyone? Law wondered. Pushed his body past breaking point, just to help a friend? Law already knew the answer. Ofcourse he would. He didn't want to think about why that disappointed him. He pushed that thought away.

Maybe it was the pain killers in his body, maybe it was the exhaustion, or the fogginess after having just woken up, but Law found himself tentatively reaching out a hand to trace the bandages at Luffy's wrist, trailing down to his hand. No one was awake to see him anyway, he could indulge this strange urge. Law tilted his head to rest against the bed and laid his hand against Luffy's. Palm to palm. Luffy's hands were large and rough, calloused, but not in the way his own were where he held Kikoku. Law's fingers were also longer and more slender, they fit neatly inbetween Luffy's thicker ones. He watched the way his darker, inked hand looked against Luffy's, thought about how these hands protected and destroyed at the same time.

Law sat there until he felt himself start to doze off. He shook his head in an attempt to rouse himself. It wouldn't do to be found sleeping by Luffy's bedside, holding his hand like a lovesick maiden. He grimaced to think of the potential embarrassment, knowing Luffy and his crew, he wouldn't live it down for the rest of his life. He pulled away.

Or tried to atleast, the moment he tried to retract his hand, Luffy's hand had tightened around his, preventing him from moving. Suddenly panicked, Law shot a look at Luffy's face. How was he going to explain this?!

Luffy's eyes were open, but only barely, and they were looking at him. Law stared back, alarmed and not knowing what to say, how long had he been awake?! Had he been watching him?! Luffy seemed to pick up on his panic because he smiled, a small tired quirk of his lips. A shadow of his usual mega watt grin, possibly too exhausted to manage more that that. He squeezed his hand once, firmly before closing his eyes again, apparently dropping right back to sleep. This time when he pulled his hand away, he met no resistance.

Law's heart was beating a mile a minute. God, how he hoped Luffy didnt remember this because he didn't know how to explain if asked. He couldn't understand why he did it, could only blame exhaustion for leaving his impulse control in tatters. He needed more sleep, clearly he wasn't in his right mind. He carefully extracted himself from Luffy's side to make sure he didn't wake again. Though he was sure nothing short of an earthquake could cause the man to fully wake up. He winced at the thought. Considering their luck, better not tempt fate.

Law moved back to the foot of the bed and gingerly lay back down on the floor, he turned his head to the side and caught the knowing dark gaze of one Nico Robin, where she was curled up in a chair, in a corner previously unseen. Law's skin was too dark to blush, probably lost too much blood to manage it anyway, but his cheeks made a valiant effort. Nico Robin blinked, slow and cat like, somehow managing to convey both amusement and a tease, but she didn't speak. Apparently content to leave the issue. For now.

Law turns his head to the other side and tries to pretend that nothing happened.  
***

Law rued the day he stepped foot on Bartolomeo's godforsaken ship. He'd had days to get used to It but the Luffy inspired figure head remained as eye searing as ever. The entire ship was a shrine dedicated to the Strawhats. That, along with Bartolomeo's simpering and the Barto Club's general incompetence in everything, was making his eye twitch. His hands were itching to create a room and cut the damn thing in half. Atleast for a little while. For therapeutic reasons.

"It is a bit much isn't It?" Came a light voice from behind him, gently amused as she always sounded. It dragged his attention away from where he was busy glaring out at the sea, firmly away from Luffy's likeness at the bow.

"Nico-ya" he said tensely, nodding in acknowledgement.

He would never admit It, but he had been going out of his way to avoid both her and Luffy since..the incident. Luffy had been fairly easy to avoid, easily distracted as he was by the Barto Club's antics. Nico Robin was much harder to shake, he'd heard that she had been a spy once and he could see why. He could feel her gaze on him sometimes, assessing and calculating and it was starting to put him on edge. She hadn't sought him out yet, content to keep her distance and observe for now. The silence had felt like the quiet of a tiger waiting to pounce, and now it seemed his time was up.

Nico Robin hummed and settled in next to him at the railing, gazing out at the sea in companionable silence. Well, companionable for her, Law could feel himself growing more rigid by the minute by how tense he was holding himself.

"Say what you have to say" he finally spat out, unable to bear the silence any longer.

Robin laughed, the sound like tinkling bells, "Why do you think I have something to say?" She asked innocently, "Is it because I caught you sitting by our dear captain's bedside, tenderly holding his hand?"

Law near choked on air, "I wasn't!- it's not like that!" He growled. God, this woman was blunt when she wanted to be.

"Isn't It?" She smiled at him.

He glares at her for a moment, but relents. "What do you want Nico-ya?" he asks tiredly.

Robin's smile now is gentler, less teasing. "To be a friend" she says, "Someone to talk to if you want to" 

He shook his head, "There's nothing to talk about" he says.

Silence for a moment.

"Luffy is my captain, my friend and one of the kindest people I know," Nico Robin starts, "he has my respect and loyalty, and I love him like a brother. To have his friendship is an honour and a blessing, because he would rather make an enemy of the entire world than leave a friend behind," she chuckles, "I should know"

Law grunts in assent, he had heard about that. The events of Enies Lobby had been front page news. It had rocked the world with it's sheer audacity.

"But Luffy is an idiot," Robin continues blithely and Law chokes on his laughter in surprise. She glances at him in amusement.

"He's dense and tactless and if he liked someone, he'd be the last person to know about it. While that can be an endearing trait, it's also a bit frustrating" she looks at him pointedly, Law looks away.

"So please don't give up, not without even trying" she implores gently.

Law grips the railing, feeling distinctly flustered at having his feelings dragged out into the open. He hadn't put it into words like that. Not even in his own head.

"I dont-" he starts, stops, swallows and tries again. "I don't think he even likes people like that" he mutters, and it was true. He had never seen Luffy interested in anyone, man or woman. His gaze passed over all of them the same, never even lingered the way it did for most people.

"Oh?" Robin raises an eyebrow at him and Law feels compelled to explain.

"I thought I was like that too, I was never..interested. In anyone. I never thought I would be. So I know what it's like" he shrugged, helplessly "Then Luffy happened" That came out more than a little irritated.

Robin laughed, "Our dear captain does seem to be the exception to everything doesn't he?" She says fondly.

Law scowls, unable to refute that.

"Maybe you can be the exception for him too"

Law glares at her, "You're surprisingly invested in this" he says, accusing.

Another twinkling laugh, "What can I say? I'm a romantic at heart~"

Law growls at the word 'romantic' and gets ready to say something caustic and peeved, but gets cut short.

"Ah!" Robin glances over his shoulder, eyes mischievous, "Incoming"

And that was about all the warning Law gets before a very enthusiastic Strawhat captain crashes into him full force against his back, threatening to knock them both out to sea. But, Luffy's arms come around him, locking tight and pulling him flush against his chest. It saves them both from a watery grave, but leaves him pinned against the railing with Luffy pressed to his back, and Law held in his arms, a very amused Nico Robin at his side. 

Law wished he'd tumbled out into the sea instead.

"Whoa!" Yelled Luffy "That was close! Are you okay Law?!" 

"Fine," he gritted out. He could feel warmth seeping into him from the hard chest pressed against him, couldn't move an inch because of the arms caging him in. "Let go."

Luffy seems to not have heard, apparently content to stand there leaning against him. He turns to speak to Robin, the side of his face pressed to shoulder, smile bright in his voice. "Franky and Usopp are looking for you! Said they needed 'more than one extra pair of hands.'"

Luffy held his own hands out in front of Law in demonstration before carelessly wrapping them back around him. Law despaired. Luffy's particular brand of skinship wasn't something he wanted to deal with today. 

Robin atleast, seemed to sympathise, despite the laughter in her eyes, "I'll be with them in a moment, Luffy," A pause. "But perhaps you should let go of Law first?" 

"No, I don't want to!" Luffy says cheerfully. Law takes a breath and once again contemplates death by drowning.

A devilish light enters Nico Robin's eyes. Perhaps she lived up to her title of devil child after all. "And why is that Luffy?" She asks, casual and smooth as silk.

Law levels a warning glance at her, but she only smiles back, oh god was that a wink?!

Luffy shrugs, and Law feels every inch of that movement against him. "I like holding Law" he says simply, "And he always smells nice".

Luffy buries his face in the join of his neck and shoulder and Law thinks he's going to have a heart attack. All his attention is focused on the way Luffy's hair tickles his neck, the way his breath fans against his collarbone. He should push him off, tell him to stop doing that, but he's frozen in shock, can only think of the sensation of being held so intimately, can only think that it's Luffy holding him like that. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Robin open her mouth, no doubt to say something else sly and heavy with meaning that's bound to go right over Luffy's head and leave Law flustered like a schoolgirl. But she isn't given the chance.

The deck of the ship rocks with an explosion accompanied by smoke billowing from the stern, Usopp's hysterical wailing and Franky's ecstatic suuperr!!. He gets a second to feel Luffy tighten his grip to keep them both on their feet before he darts off, already whooping with delight, distracted by the newest promise of trouble. Leaving Law weak and grasping at the railing for support.

"Oh my" says Robin, gentle and amused. 

"Not a word!" he hisses.

"Perhaps the situation isn't as hopeless as you feared" she says, laughing.

Law pointedly turns away from her, eyes focused on his white knuckled hands.

"Shut up"

"You know, you could've easily gotten free using tact"

"Shut up!"  
***

They were in Zou, Law was surrounded by his crew mates and all was right with the world. Or atleast as right as things could be. Law contentedly watched the minks of Zou make merry around him, yet another island of people saved by the Strawhat's heroics. Another group of people celebrating the Strawhat crew the way they liked best, with food and drink.

Law was just happy to be alive and back with his men. Bepo had cried and clung to him when he saw him. Shachi and Penguin not far behind, even Jean Bart had shed a tear or two. Law couldn't judge, he would've cried too had he not been grinning so much, high off of cheating death. He hadn't ever expected to be here in this moment, and nothing could dampen his mood. Even the threat of imminent destruction by Kaido. Law slouched farther into a cheerful Bepo who hadn't left his side even once, and watched as his crew laughed and drank and generally made a fool out of themselves around him.

God, he'd missed this.

So that's probably why, when Shachi and Penguin came around, flushed and excited with bottles of wine between them, Law didnt say no. He had only gotten drunk once as a kid, because the DonQuixote family had thought it hilarious. It was a very unpleasant experience and he'd had no wish to go through that again as an adult. He couldn't afford to be vulnerable regardless, he'd been a pirate captain and a warlord, his enemies would take advantage of the slightest hint of weakness and distraction. He couldn't have let his guard down, not with Doflamingo still out there.

But Doflamingo was no longer a threat. Here in Zou, he was safe for the night. Surrounded by friends and allies, on top of a moving island, he figured if there was ever an opportunity to indulge and get drunk, this was it.

So he had grabbed a bottle and knocked it back to the cheers and whooping of his crew around him.

Sometime later, when he was completely and utterly smashed, he idly thought he might regret this decision come morning. He'd forgotten that since he had never drank in his adult life, it meant that his alcohol tolerance was practically non-existent. Now he was sandwiched in between a rowdy Penguin and Shachi, staring up at the sky, trying to figure out if the white spots he was seeing were stars or because his vision was swimming.

The night air was cool on his heated skin, filled with the laughter and chatter of the joyful people around him. The breeze rustled the leaves of the tall trees surrounding the clearing. All of it coming together to sound like the peace that had eluded him his entire life. Laid out flat on his back, Law closed his eyes and listened to Shachi and Penguin squabbling over something or the other, Jean Bart's quiet laughter and Bepo's attempt at mediation. He lets his mind drift, everything felt warm and fuzzy around the edges. He might fall asleep like this.

"Strawhat!!" He heard Bepo call out cheerfully.

Ah. Luffy.

"Bear-man!!" Luffy shouts back with equal cheer. 

Luffy lands in front of them with a thump, where did he even jump from?, where he engages in a one sided argument with Bepo. Bepo futilely trying to get him to call him by his actual name.

Law stares at him from his position on the ground. Luffy stands with his back to the bonfire, and the warm light makes him glow, firelight in his eyes and hair. Why is he glowing? People shouldn't glow like that. 

Law thinks of his conversation with Robin, and what had happened afterwards. He'd been trying not to think about it, but now he was drunk and everything came rushing to the fore front. People don't hold friends like that do they? Did it mean something more? Or was that just Luffy being Luffy? Did Luffy even know what he was doing?He was a tactile man. He had seen Luffy sprawl all over his crew mates, wrap his arms around their shoulders and drag them by their wrists, was it any different with him? 

He groaned at the direction his thoughts had taken. He really was turning into a teenager with a crush.

He could still feel the warmth of his embrace. He wanted to feel that again, wanted the opportunity to hold him back.

Please don't give up without even trying, Robin had said.

Well, atleast he had no shortage of liquid courage.

He struggles upright and calls out "Strawhat!"

Luffy looks up mid laugh, and Law is caught by the warmth in his dark gaze. In a daze, Law watches him bound towards him, closer until he's right in front of him. 

"Wow, Torao!! You look really drunk!"

"Yeah, our Captain's a total light weight!" 

Law ignores whichever traitor that was and instead chooses to glare at Straw hat. "Luffy" he says.

"What's up Torao?" Luffy grins back, and Law reaches out to snag his open vest, pulling him down. Luffy leans down obligingly and Law stares him right in the eyes.

"You! I like you!" he growls out. 

Luffy laughs, "Shi Shi Shi! I like you too Torao!!"

And Law groans, frustrated, he releases Luffy's vest and wraps his hand around his neck instead, pulling him down even closer. "No, I like you" he grits out, willing him to understand.

Luffy looks at him blankly, and the moment stretches out, Law occupies himself by threading his fingers up from Luffy's neck and into his hair. He watches his face, tracing his features with his eyes, at the firelight flickering shadows against his cheekbones. He waits.

Then suddenly Luffy's eyes lock on him with feverish focus. It reminds him of the look Luffy gets when he gets challenged in battle. That same manic energy in those eyes. He grins, wild and fierce. 

"I like you too Torao" he repeats simply.

Huh, that was easy.

"Good" he says. Then Law wraps both his arms around Luffy like he had wanted to for so long, presses his face against the bare skin and hard muscle of his chest and melts into the heat of his body, privately happy about how Luffy chooses to walk around with his shirt open.

A beat.

"Aahhh!! Captain's been possessed!! What do we do?! What do we do?!"

"I didn't know captain was an affectionate drunk!"

"Maybe he's just affectionate with Strawhat, hmm?"

Silence. Then poorly muffled snickering. Law frowns, annoyed.

Luffy chuckles and doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him too, and oh that feels nice. "You're really drunk Torao" Was that his imagination or is that fondness he hears in his voice? 

Law hums, comfortable, he doesn't want to move. Ever.

He hears footsteps shuffle up to them. Bepo. 

"Uhh, we'd better get captain to bed before he does something else that's going to make him want to murder us all for getting him drunk" Bepo says nervously.

Law frowns again, why would he do that? This is the best idea his idiot crew has ever had.

Bepo tries to pry his hands off and Law makes a disgruntled noise and holds tighter, turning his face away from Bepo.

"Oh my God"

"I wish I had a recorder snail right now"

Luffy chuckles again "Shi Shi Shi! Don't worry about it! I can take him to bed!"

"I bet he can- ow!!"

"Shut up, that's our Captain!"

Bepo stutters nervously, "Uhh alright, how exactly are you going to-" then squeaks in surprise when Luffy grabs Law under the thighs and lifts him up. Law blinks, confused at his new vantage point but settles against him without much fuss, his drunk mind finding nothing wrong with the position, legs wrapping around his waist and arms around his shoulders. He looks down at Luffy who's grinning up at him, eyes bright, and huffs, leaning down to rest his head against Luffy's. He's quite pleased with the situation to be honest.

But Bepo looks horrified. In fact, his entire crew looks pretty slack jawed with terror. 

"It's okay, he does this all the time" he tries to reassure them, glad that his speech was coherent, mostly. Well, he only carried him around that one time. But it was necessary, like it is now.

Rather than be reassured, his crew erupts in agonized shrieks and wails. Law winces.

"What do you mean he does this all the time?! How long has this been going on?!"

"How dare you sully our captain's honour!?"

"Bepo! He's taking our Captain away to ravish him! Stop him Bepo!"

Law glares at his crew. How are they so loud all the time? "Would you all stop that? Do you think I'd let him do anything I don't want him to do?!"

This brings the noise to a stop and Law is thankful for the reprieve.

"Shi Shi Shi! Your friends are so fun Torao!" Luffy laughs into his ear and starts walking, leaving his astonished crew standing in the dust.

Law smiles, genuine. "That they are," he mumbles into Luffy's neck and promptly passes out.  
***

Law wakes up and immediately regrets every single life decision that brought him to this moment. God this hurts almost as bad as when he got beat up by Doflamingo. His head was pounding and his mouth and throat were as dry as a desert island. He opens his eyes and regrets that too. The sunlight feeling like it pierced right through to his brain. This was the absolute worst idea his idiot crew has ever had. 

Atleast his physiology as a devil fruit user meant that it wasn't as bad as it could've been. How does Zoro do this to himself on a daily basis?

He groans and tries to roll out of whatever soft surface he thankfully had the presence of mind to make it back to. But he can't, because there's something around his waist that's stopping him. He looks down. It's an arm. It's an arm connected to a person. A person who's in bed with him, he turns to look. The arm is connected to Luffy.

Dear god, please kill me now.

All at once, he remembers the events of last night and doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Oh god, the things he'd said! The things he'd done! Why didn't anyone stop him?! How can he look his crew in the face again?! The embarrassment would kill him! Did anyone else see them?! 

And Luffy! Why did he do that?! He hadn't been held like that since he was a child! And he'd only let Cora-san do it because he'd been near death!

And God, he thought with growing horror, he'd told him he liked him hadn't he?! Told Luffy and his crew and anyone else who had been listening. Law proceeds to quietly descend into full blown panic. Atleast the both of them still had their clothes on, he thinks hysterically, kind of, Luffy had lost his vest at some point. Not that it made much of any difference.

Luffy's arm around him flexes and Law snaps his attention to where Luffy is just waking up, blinking slowly, hair a mess.

"Why are you in my bed?!" Is the first thing that comes out of his mouth.

"Whaa-" Luffy is cut off by a yawn, "But you're in my bed?" He blinks at him confusedly.

"Alright" Law grits out, "Why am I in your bed with you?"

"Oh!" Luffy snickers, "I couldn't find your room so I brought you to mine, and then you wouldn't let go of me even though you were asleep! And then I felt sleepy too and I didn't wanna go back. So I slept here!" 

Law feels like stabbing something.

"So" he starts slowly, "You carried me to your room, in the middle of a party, and neither of us were seen for the rest of the night?"

"Yeah?"

Law prays for patience, "You know people are gonna talk right?" He asks, trying not to sound too desperate.

"I don't care about what other people think" Luffy shoots back carelessly.

Law groans in frustration, "No, that's not- people are going to think we're together!"

"Aren't we?"

What.

"What?" He asks blankly.

Luffy laughs and tugs at his hold around Law's waist to pull him closer, he then rolls on top of him, hovering over Law's frozen form, muscled arms propping him up on either side of his head. Law tries not to stare at the vast expanse of bare skin in front of him, tries not to watch the way his muscles roll underneath his skin as he settles. Luffy is surprisingly heavy on top of him. Law feels drunk all over again.

"Hey, Torao, last night, you said you liked me, I like you too! That means we're together right?"

Law swallows, reeling at what had just come out of Luffy's mouth, the sensation of Luffy pressing him into bed was making it hard to concentrate. He struggles to make sense of his words.

"Do you know what it means when I say I like you?" He asks finally, sounding hoarse, because Luffy can't mean what he thinks he's saying.

"Shi Shi Shi! You know, I'm not totally stupid Torao!" Luffy shifts to tangle their fingers together, pressing his hands into the mattress by his head. Luffy smiles down at him.

"You like me the way lovers do, I like you the way lovers do"

Law's breath hitches as the word 'lovers' falls from Luffy's lips. God, that wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd hear, this was surreal. Was this a dream? Luffy certainly looked like a dream, with the sunlight spilling in through the window haloing his head and making his bronze skin glow. Why was he always glowing? Is it because he was in love? This can't be normal. Luffy seemed in no hurry to move, which was a miracle in and of itself. Luffy was motion personified. Never stopping, never stilling. But for now Luffy seemed content to watch his face and play with the fingers caught in his grip, Luffy's eyes where they were locked on his weren't exactly gentle, but they lacked the frantic energy that was usually there, that light that made him look like a wild thing was absent. The fire banked for the moment.

Law thought he was beautiful, and Law couldn't make sense of that because this was Luffy he was talking about for God's sake!

"When did you know that you..liked me?" He asked hesitantly.

"Last night!"

Law scowled "Are you fucking kidding me?!" He growled.

"Nope!" Luffy says brightly. And Law groans in exasperation, dense indeed.

Luffy chuckles and lays his head on his chest. "Why does that matter?" He asks. And Law had no answer, because it really didn't matter now did it?

"Can I kiss you?" He blurted out instead. And oh, he didn't mean to say that, what if Luffy didn't want to-

Law's thoughts were cut off by the feel of chapped lips against his. It wasn't a particularly good kiss, too hard and too forceful, neither of them had the experience to know how to do it right. But that was okay because Luffy made a small sound and pressed back in softer, lips moving gentler. And it was better this time. And it would only get better, Law thought dizzily. They had plenty of time to practice. Because they could do that now.

They had things to talk about ofcourse, how would this even work? How far was Luffy willing to go with this? What would they tell their respective crew's? What would this mean for the alliance? 

These were all valid questions, and Law would voice them in a moment, make a plan and think about the ramifications of two pirate Captains in a relationship. He would do all that. Soon. But not right now. The feel of Luffy's ever present grin pressed against his lips was very distracting after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked that kids! Sorry if the italics are lost:(


End file.
